Topic: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise??

Re: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise?? 

Whoa!

Now then. Ours is open-loop and filtered RAIN water. No bore water, high iron content etc. I checked the sensors. There is one on each 15-tube collector on the RETURN. I went onto the roof, the sensors are correctly mounted RIGHT INSIDE the collectors as they should be.

The issue therefore lies with the controller AFAIKT.

I re-checked the controller - there is a setting "System protection" which was preventing the hi-heat in the collectors from having water circulated through them.

I disabled this setting and the pumps started immediately (it was a nice sunny day). I was dubious about changing this and had spotted it previously but had thought "Nah, that can't possibly be it".

I appreciate the issues stated by a previous posted about summer and real-heat etc - hence my wanting to sort this now - in winter.

It's also easy to say that the installer should commission the system for me but because I ordered a non-standard controller that neither the system designer nor the plumber nor the sparky were familiar with, they couldn't and can't help me with it.

I am however very technically minded and am confident and I can get the settings correct.

I will not be messing with anything I am not qualified to do and therefore no warranties will be voided, I make sure of that. I am simply checking things have been installed correctly and reporting this back to the designer.

As for the power-cut issue, sure that's a real consideration. The controller has several system/collector damage-prevention configuration settings that are set on and to their default values.

So I will keep an eye on the system for the coming days and report back.

Many thanks for the (on-topic) replies.

Regards,
Russell

Re: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise?? 

Hi Russ

If you get a chance to, note down some temperature readings (for all of the sensors).

From what you posted immediately above, your pump is not circulating the water fast enough to remove the heat, before the whole thing goes into the protection mode. So it would be useful to know what your pump flowrate setting is.

Also, have you ascertained if your system uses "U" tubes or heat pipes?

Re: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise?? 

On a sunny day the readings can get pretty high. I like the sound of your diagnosis of pump speed. I'll have a look and see if there is a speed setting on them (there is on the central heating water-pump, but the solar pumps are much smaller)

As for U-Tube vs Heat-pipe, I'd go for heat-pipe but I don't know, I was going to check the manual wasn't I.

Does this tell you anything? http://www.leapltd.co.nz/index.php?page=solar-genius-technical#a (It's a standard version of our system)

Cheers,
Russ

Re: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise?? 

I rang them: they use heat pipe.

Re: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise?? 

Any systems using heat pipes must have a good water flow through the headers, each heat pipes surface area in contact with the water is quite small and to efficiently get rid of the heat the flow has to be higher than other systems.

The way is to monitor the temperature to and from the panel array with the pump running around midday, the differential should be < 15 degrees, anything less, the pump flow is too low.

If you have a custom solution then you may need a higher flow pump.

Cheers
Mike

Re: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise?? 

Hello Russ, have you solved the problem? If not you can come to me and I will ask our engineer for help. We are manufacturer of flat plate solar water heating system. I think they are much alike in the principle.

Skype: bluesimon000000

E-mail:alwm35@gmail.com


Aaron

Re: Solar Collector Venting Rumbling Noise?? 

Here's the latest.

The system designers (LEAP Ltd) have bene fantastic about this. Adam from LEAP came up to our place, listened to the issues and the conclusion we've come to that was mentioned by a previous poster is this:

That the x2 25W aren't powerful enough on their own to suck water from the storage to collectors. So pressure builds up with expanding (boiling) water, pushed back on the pumps (probably shortening their lives) and hasn't enough pressur ein the right firection to pass the heated water back to storage before it boils off.

Solution: Fit 2 larger pumps or add 2 more of the same type in-line.

I will update again when these have bene installed and are or are not working.

Thanks for the input so far, we worked off a couple of the previous posts the other w/e.

Cheers
Russ